The Bronze Horseman is an equestrian statue of Peter the Great by Étienne Maurice Falconet (1768-1770) represents one of the symbols of Saint Petersburg. Catherine the Great ordered its construction, and had it inscribed with the phrase in Latin meaning ´Catherine the Second to Peter the First, 1782´
There is a 19th century legend that states that while the Bronze Horseman stands in the middle of Saint Petersburg, enemy forces will never be able to take the city. During the 900-day Siege of Leningrad during the Second World War, the statue was not taken down, but covered with sandbags and a wooden shelter. The protection served so well, that the Bronze Horseman survived the 900 days of bombing and artillery virtually untouched.